6. Table for X, Please
The devil's finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.
― Charles Baudelaire, Paris Spleen
March 31, 5:15 AM
Kisame was one of the early arrivals this morning. To be exact, he had not returned home after the celebrations had ended. Instead he remained behind long enough to give his secretary necessary instructions.
His dearest female companion, dressed impeccably thanks to him, had retired a few hours ago. No matter, he had gotten everything he desired and the price was just one dress and some jewellery. It was a small fee to pay in order to gain something much more valuable – certainty.
Without the glitz and glamour of good lighting and the cover of darkness, the leftovers of this grand celebration looked well, miserable.
Everything had to be in order for when the embassy opens its doors that morning and he made sure to stress that all leftovers should be delivered to Kirigakure to be distributed to the poorest. It was a course of action he took each year. It was the cheapest way to garner sympathy and ensure that Kirigakure's population supported the ruling layer.
What better way to fortify their control over the people than to offer them the illusion that the higher ups were not greedy, gluttonous capitalists who leeched off the nation's efforts.
Well, the previous Mizukage had indeed truly cared for the kingdom's welfare. The current one however…
Kisame inwardly cringed at the memory of his brief encounter with the ruler. He was but a child – irrational, shallow and violent. Not that Kisame particularly minded this reign of terror; he was simply unsure how sustainable it was going to be, and that is exactly why the Mizukage needed people like the mutated diplomat.
Even if the current Mizukage fell from grace, his position would remain stable. If he could convince the current brat that he's worth the time and money then the future Mizukage was going to be a piece of cake.
When Kisame had ensured that everything was flowing smoothly, that the entertainers had been paid and the cleaning team was already in motion, he determined it to be a good time to retreat upstairs to his office to change his attire and take a short nap before work truly began.
Well, not before downing a kettle of strong coffee.
He took the elevator up from the main lobby to his office, enjoying how hushed the embassy was. On any other time of the day it was always bustling with people and life, but for now Kisame was content with the fact that he could stretch in the elevator.
The man exited at the eighth floor and walked straight to his office, suppressing a jaw. While fetching his keys from his pocket, he made a mental note to send a message to his secretary to have coffee delivered right when he wakes up.
He turned the key, only to find the door already unlocked.
Out of instinct his eyes narrowed and Kisame braced himself, ready to leap at the intruder.
Kisame rushed in just to find Itachi in his office who looked uncharacteristically like himself, a rare sight indeed. It was easy to forget the man's true features when he covered them up every day of his life.
The diplomat grinned, "My-my Itachi, I was about to tackle you. Very unwise to leave the door open."
He walked to the other end of his office to a well hidden wardrobe. It was made to look like another panel in the wall, a secret compartment in its own way.
"You would be the only visitor here at this hour," reasoned the Uchiha. If he was tired, then he hid it well.
Kisame began changing, paying no mind to his partner as the black haired Uchiha was once again donning a disguise.
"What about a cleaning lady? You would have to kill the poor dame, what a mess it would make…" noted Kisame joyfully. He was strangely enough, in a good mood.
"The lobby takes priority, and your office was cleaned just yesterday."
It didn't surprise him that Itachi knew such specific details. In order to maintain his identities, it had become a necessity. Though Kisame had always wondered how Itachi differentiated between his various identities. They all came with their own personality and backgrounds…A real hassle to remember it all.
Yes, Kisame was thankful that he was only known as a diplomat. At least he didn't have to bother hiding his face.
He got a good look of his appearance from the mirror that was hung to the inside of the door – tall, muscular and…a mutant. Blue skin and gill-like scars made him look more like a shark than man. Perhaps hiding his face would be the kinder option.
Such thoughts had no room in Kisame's world, he had more pressing issues to deal with. He hung up the tuxedo and put on a freshly ironed shirt and a pair of dark grey pants.
"You invaded my office for another purpose besides cross-dressing, I presume?" he asked with a tinge of amusement in his voice and turned around while messing with a tie.
Itachi was in a well-tailored striped jacket and a black pencil skirt, a most comical sight for Kisame. Though he did have to admit, when Itachi bothered to leave his natural hair undone and donned on some makeup, stuffed a bra and wore a pair of heels, he looked quite good.
Ah yes, he loved those days. The sight became much more hilarious because of Itachi's natural stoicism. He seemed completely unfazed by the discomfort, or he had become used to it by now.
Kisame tried to stifle a laugh when Itachi took a seat upon the sofa to apply fake lashes and walked around the (wo)man to his desk to sit upon his personal throne.
"Yes," he replied casually while applying the second set of lashes, "Did you manage to draw something from her?"
Kisame felt regal sitting there with the sun rising behind him. He leaned back, exhaling his exhaustion, "I want to keep an eye on her. I got the irking feeling that she wasn't being…honest last night."
The diplomat studied the reaction of his partner, or lack thereof as Itachi buttoned up the jacket and stood up, brushing away specs of dust from his skirt. Damn, he would've made a fine woman in another world.
"I will let you know if I find anything. Let me know if you need help." He said flatly, stuffing the blonde wig from last night and the neatly folded white suit into a large bag.
Kisame smirked, "Uchiha, I am perfectly capable of dealing with one small adversary." And Kisame wasn't boasting. The Akatsuki was a small organisation, in terms of official and permanent members, but it was composed of some of the deadliest and most capable people in the world.
Itachi made his way across the room, heels dully thudding against the carpeted floor but Kisame wasn't done with the man yet. After all, it wasn't every week that Itachi decided to reveal himself two days in a row.
"You spoke with her last night. Knowing you Itachi, and I am a people person - You know very well whose daughter she is." He noted pointedly. Kisame had caught only a glimpse of their short conversation, but he was sure that it had been Itachi he saw and the diplomat was curious to hear about their exchange. Pity he hadn't installed enough lighting to read their lips from the cameras...
Kisame had learned quickly that while Itachi chose not to voice his opinions, the man often saw anything and everything. Contrary to some of the Akatsuki members, Itachi simply refrained from bragging with his knowledge. Most likely a habit the young man developed when he took up bartering with information.
Itachi halted, hand already on the door handle. His back was turned to the diplomat so Kisame didn't catch a glimpse of the rare smile that was on the man's face. For the first time in years there was a sliver of hope in his world.
"I disagree, she wouldn't make it in politics – too selfless."
Kisame chuckled and shook his head, unfazed by Itachi's assessment clashing with his own, "Sleep tight, Uchiha."
The disguised man left Kisame's office, looking back at his partner to offer him a curt nod, leaving the mutated Akatsuki member to his plotting (or in this case, napping).
Itachi was navigating through the maze of hallways with elegant precision.
Even if he had escaped from Kisame's constant scrutiny, it was far too early to utter the word 'safe'.
He headed straight to the garage to drive straight to one of his safe houses, well aware that the embassy was filled with cameras and it was unsafe to think about anything compromising in case it showed on his face.
Well, Kisame was going to edit him out of the footage most likely as he always did.
Shimotsuki Naoko, the name sounded natural on the tip of his tongue. There was no doubt that the silly girl had to be warned before she became a target, but it would take a little time to draw her personal e-mail and set up a secure line to deliver the message.
It was still too early to make personal contact. Too unsafe, he couldn't risk it yet, not while Kisame was so vigilant and set on his task.
He suspects the truth. Be careful.
April 5, 21.33
Kakashi was seated on the sofa, brow furrowed in concentration, pondering over the facts that Naoko had just shared about last week. Meanwhile Naoko was pacing restlessly around the room, as she had been doing for the past fifteen minutes while trying to supress the urge to chew on her fingernails.
Truthfully, she would've preferred a proper workout, but Tsunade was still dead set that the pair took it easy. They hadn't shown signs of rejecting the artificial tissue and the Hokage stressed that the final stages of healing were most important to guarantee that the cells would achieve maximum levels of function.
So that's how she ended up with pacing around instead of ferociously stabbing a dummy.
"Why haven't you reported this?" he asked finally.
The redhead halted and threw her hands up in exasperation, "Oh and just to who would I report this? How a nameless information broker sort of hinted that the Akatsuki is most likely involved and the most influential members of the Kirigakure embassy is also at fault!"
The summary gave Kakashi pause, "You never thought about taking it to ANBU?"
His partner began twiddling her thumbs once more, "No, I don't think a full-fledged investigation would be wise at this point. You were a member of ANBU once, would they even be of help?"
The soldier smiled humourlessly, "You know I am not allowed to talk about it."
ANBU, an elite branch of Konoha Military's Intelligence department. Practically independent from the rest of the military – They answered only to the Hokage and her advisors. Absolute secrecy concerning the ANBU's activities and role was practiced, which of course made it a popular career choice for any youngster who aimed for the Intelligence department.
Naoko sighed, "I'm not asking about the inner workings, what I want to know is would the matter be swept under a carpet or would they take it seriously."
Kakashi stood up and made his way to his partner, he gripped her shoulders while looking her straight in the eye. She was a little startled by the change of demeanour, Kakashi seemed sterner, yet the woman didn't flinch away from his grasp.
"If you choose to give the information to ANBU then you will never hear of this matter again. Are you ready to give up your leads and resume everyday life?"
And then Naoko realised that Kakashi was offering her a way out. If she turned her investigation in to ANBU then the matter and anything concerning it would be out of her hands. It might be that the matter is dealt with swiftly and quietly with no media coverage or they would deem Naoko's case one not worth investigating. There's no way to know with absolute certainty.
She could return back to teaching, and honing her pupils to bring out the best in them…And Kakashi, he would be right there with her and the only worries she would face would be concerning his tardiness.
There was no judgement in his eyes – Kakashi was leaving this decision entirely up to Naoko.
The possibility that she might never hear the truth about the Akatsuki, while she had barely scratched the surface.
What if…the notion was preposterous to her, but what if they succeeded in uncovering the truth? It would secure a stable future for both of them and perhaps it would be enough to wipe out the organisation entirely.
There really was only one option.
"No," she replied honestly, "I couldn't, not anymore."
For a second Kakashi seemed, for the lack of a better word, proud. The emotion vanished soon after and he let go of Naoko who felt relieved by the lack of contact.
"Alright," he concluded, guiding her back to the sofa, "Have you figured out your next move?" he asked as they sat down.
Out of habit Naoko sat on the very edge, her posture picture perfect while Kakashi was much more relaxed. Always the same dynamic, some things never changed.
"Well, seeing as we only have three leads – the broker, Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. I think that the latter is the most logical one to start with."
Kakashi seemed pleased with her assessment, "I agree. Brokers are nearly impossible to track, Hoshigaki is near untouchable right now, which only leaves us one final lead."
The redhead sighed, "What are Sasuke's parents like? Would they eradicate Itachi's entire existence from their home, or do you think they would leave his belongings untouched?"
"In public they may pretend their firstborn is dead to them, but…what are you hoping to gain?"
Naoko nodded, "If I could just swipe his computer's hard drive I'd be the luckiest girl in the world."
The idea left Kakashi sceptical, "Let's just assume for a moment that you indeed gain access to his computer, do you really think that he would be careless enough to leave anything traceable there?"
Not to mention that they would have to find a way to gain access to Itachi's room without getting caught in the act. Technically, they would be breaking privacy laws, but only if they got caught. If they had any substantial results then the slight might be overlooked, but that was a problem in the distant future.
Naoko shrugged, "It's worth a shot. We do not really know what transpired or how did he even find the Akatsuki in the first place…"
She released a shrill laugh, "Have I mentioned that we're just stumbling in the dark, grasping at straws?"
Kakashi smiled amicably, mock toasting her with his empty beer can, "Welcome to Intel."
"The exams are coming up in May, we could do a house visit to the Uchihas. No doubt Fugaku has a thing or two to say about Sasuke's future," she said, thinking out loud. Naoko had begun pacing back and forth in her living room again while a plan was beginning to form in her head.
"I mean, how big could their house be? One of us can slip away from the meeting or…not even show up and break in while the other keeps the family busy. It's still far away we have the entire month to plan this."
She seemed set and visibly relaxed now that matters, at least seemingly, were in order.
It was then that Kakashi realised that Naoko had grown up. Two years ago when he first met her, she was fresh out of the academy. Even now she was uptight and still had the habit of fussing over everything until it was perfect, but she wasn't a girl anymore.
No, in front of him was a full grown woman who was dead set on embarking on one of the most dangerous investigations that had no guarantee of anything substantial.
She had the choice to resume her uneventful life, yet decided to trample that distant dream to the ground. Because every soldier in Intel was like a junkie. Once they got a whiff of trouble brewing, they would be dead set on finding out anything and everything until all questions were answered.
"What are you smiling about?"
Kakashi jolted out of his ponderings to see Naoko staring down at him, arms crossed over her chest.
"Nothing," he waved away her concerns insouciantly, "So are we going to watch that movie or not?"
The question earned him a slap against his fingers, "Excuse me? We have our work cut out for us and you want to watch a movie?" she demanded, clearly irritated by Kakashi's visible lack of concern.
Actually he was quite overwhelmed, too exhausted to deal with it all tonight. It could wait, it had to wait. Speaking about Rin and Obito had stirred feelings that had remained buried for years and with all the new variables that Naoko had spurred at him…
Once more he sat her down next to himself, "It can wait until tomorrow. Unless you want to go lurk around Sasuke's house right now, while intoxicated I might add."
She blinked a few times before breaking out into a series of giggles, "Could you imagine Sasuke's reaction?" she managed between chortling, "I think he'd begin to doubt his sanity."
Indeed, Kakashi didn't even want to picture the teenager's face if he noticed his two drunken instructors in his backyard…Any credibility to continue their investigation would be lost at that instance.
"Fine," agreed Naoko finally, "we'll watch the damn movie if you're so dead set on the idea, but only if you answer one question."
"Surprise me."
"You really would've let me to drop the case, just like that?"
Kakashi chuckled, "I would've picked it up myself."
They didn't settle on a horror movie though, choosing an Akasuna Sasori classic instead.
As always, thank you all for reading and thank you Davina and Akari for your feedback!
This chapter was a bit shorter than usual, but it was mainly a necessary evil buffer chapter to set up the stage for future events. My extremely long break is nearing its end so I will try to write at least the first half of the next chapter by Sunday so hopefully the wait will not be disappointingly long for you.
I hope you see a lovely cross-dressing Itachi in your dreams tonight~